Hog ringer



Oct. 17; 1950 I c. L... AUSTIN 2,525,759

nos xmcsa Filed April 27, 1949 .2- Sheets-finest 1 Oct. 17, 1950 c. L.AUSTIN 2 5 5 Hos amass 1166 April 27, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedOct. 17, ,1950

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOG RINGER Clarence L. Austin, Morrison,111.

Application April 27, 1949, Serial No. 89,828 Claims. (01. 128-332) Thisinvention relates to an improved hog ringer and in particular it relatesto a hog ringer having a magazine for the accommodation of a pluralityof hog ring blanks.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved hogringer having a magazine between the handles from which a series of hogring blanks of the so-called Hill pattern may be fed into ring formingposition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hog ringer havingimproved crimping members which successively cam a ring blank forwardlyand downwardly from the plane of the series of ring blanks into asnout-gripping'position, and then form the ring.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hog ringer which maybe adjusted to accommodate rings of several different sizes, rings ofthe Hill pattern normally being furnished in three sizes.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of theimproved hog ringer in position to insert a ring in a hogs snout; Fig. 2is a bottom plan view of the ringer with its jaws in open position; Fig.3 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a top plan view ofthe ringer with its jaws in closed position with a fully formed ring inthe jaws; Fig. 5 is a bottom n plan view similar to Fig. 4. with themagazine follower plate removed to better illustrate the construction ofthe ringer; Fig. 6 is a section taken as indicated at line 6-5 of Fig.4; Fig. '7 is a fragmentary plan view of the inner surface of themagazine follower plate; Fig. 8 is a section taken as indicated on theline 88 of Fig. 3; Fig. 9 is a section similar to Fig. 8 with thecrimping members in intermediate position and a ring therein insnout-gripping position; and Fig. ,10 is a section taken as indicated onthe line I 0-10 of Fig. 6, showing a fully formed ring in the crimpingmembers.

The hog ringer has a frame containing a magazine to receive a series ofhog ring blanks, and a pair of cross-levers is pivotally mounted on theframe with its handles flanking the frame.

with cooperating cam faces which first slide a ring blank downwardly andforwardly into snoutgripping position and then form the ring as the A.follower on the frame is urged forwardly by a A 29, respectively, are apair of links 30 and 3| handles of the cross-levers are moved togetherto close the jaws. A cross-head on the frame may have its forward traveladjustably limited and is linked to the cross-levers so as to adjustablylimit the opening movement of the jaws, which may thus accommodate ringblanks of several sizes, and a spring urges said cross-head toward itsforward position thus tending to keep'the jaws in their adjusted openposition.

Referring to the drawings in'greater detail, a frame indicated generallyat l l is formed of a channel member so as to have a back [2, and sidewalls l3 and M which have their lower edge portions turned in, as seenin Figs. 8 to 10. As best seen in Figs. 5, 6 and 9, a guide member I5 iswelded to the inside of the hollow, channel-like frame I l at l5a, andextends to the open forward .end thereof. The guide member I5 has achannel-like cross-section generally concentric with that of the frame II so as to provide a magazine for a series of ring blanks I6. The ringblanks are of the well known Hill pattern, and are preferably heldtogether by a plastic or lacquer coating for easy loading of themagazine. I

A pair of cross-levers l1 and I8 are pivotally mounted on the frame IIby means of a rivet IS, the handles and 2| of the cross-levers flank theframe and the jaws 22 and 23 thereof extend forwardly across the openend of the magazine. The jaws 22 and 23 are provided with flanges 24 and25 which act as stop members for the ring blanks l6. Immediately to therear of the stops 24 and 25 are crimping cams 26 and 21 (best seen inFigs. 8 and 9) which are positioned to flank the forward ring blank 16aof the series of ring blanks in the magazine. As best seen in Fig. 6 thejaws 22 and 23 and the crimping cams 26 and 21 slant forwardly anddownwardly and, as shown in Fig. 8, the crimping cams have longoutwardly flaring upper surfaces 26a and 21a, and short inwardlydirected lower surfaces 26b and 211). As the jaws close, the shouldersof the forward ring blank Ilia are first gripped between the surfaces26a. and 21a which slide the ring blank downwardly and forwardly to asnout gripping position (see Fig. 9), at which point the ring blankshoulders are gripped by the lower surfaces 262) and 21b of the crimpingcams, and as the .closing of the jaws continues the blank l6a is closedto form a completed ring, as seen in Fig. 10. Pivoted to thecross-levers I1 and I8 at 28 and which have their inner ends pivotallysecured to across-head by means of a rivet 33 which extends through aguide slot 34 in the back I2 of the frame I The rear portion of theguide slot 34 is broadened to form shoulders 35.

As best seen in Figs. l to 6, the cross-head 32 includes a main plate 36which lies above the back l2 of the frame and is provided with alongitudinal slot 360.; and an adjustment plate 3'! which lies beneaththe back I2 and has a threaded abutment shoulder 38 projecting throughthe broad rear portion of the guide slot 34 to contact the main plate35. A thumb screw 39 extends through the slot 350. and screws into theabutment shoulder 38 to hold the cross-head together. The bottom surfaceof the main plate and the top of the abutment shoulder are preferablylaterally scored to provide good frictional engagement when the thumbscrew 39 is tightened. It will be observed that the abutment shoulder 38engages the shoulders 35 of the guide slot 34 to limit the forwardtravel of the cros head, and that by moving the adjustment plate 3'!with respect to the main plate 35 the extreme forward motion of thecross-head 32 may be adjusted. By reason of the links 30 and 3|, this inturn adjustably limits the extreme opening of the jaws 22 and 23, so asto accommodate them to ring blanks of several sizes. A U-shaped springreceiver 48 at the rear of the main plate 35 has an arm extendingbeneath the back it of the frame H, and a tension return spring 4: whichextends from said arm to an aperture at the rear of the guide member |5urges the crosshead 32 to its forward position and the jaws to theiropen position. Preferably, the adjustment plate 3! is provided with anindicator 42 which projects through the forward part of the guide slot33 and may be aligned with suitable marks on the main plate 35 toindicate the proper adjusted position for ring blanks of any given size.

A magazine follower 43 has upright sides 44 and 45 and is of appropriatedimensions to slide in the slot formed by the side walls l3 and M of themain frame and the concentric side walls of the guide member l5. Theupright sides 44 and 45 of the follower have their forward ends crimpedat 46 and 41 to engage the series of ring blanks Hi, and a tensionspring 48 is stretched between a hook 49 at the rear of the follower 43and an aperture in the guide member I5. Thus the spring 48 urges thefollower 43 forwardly so as to feed the series of ring blanks l5successively into position abutting against the stops 24 and 25 of thejaws, and between the crimping-cams 26 and 27. A stop lug so On theinner surface of the follower engages with a lug 5| on the guide memberl5 to limit forward motion of the follower; and to facilitate loadingthe magazine the rear edge portion of the guide member |5 is bentdownwardly to form a lip 52 to engage the lug 5i? and retain thefollower in a retracted position. The follower makes a loose fit withthe slot in which it rides so as to permit the lug 55 to be freed fromthe lip 52, thus allowing the follower to slide forward after the seriesof ring blanks I6 is fed into the magazine from between the jaws 22' and23.

In loading the ringer, the thumb screw 39 is first'loosened and theindicator 42 located in registry with the appropriate mark onthe mainplate 36 of the cross-head to adjust the extreme span of the jaws forthe particular size of ring blank which is to be used. The thumb screw35 may then be tightened to lock the cross-head in its adjustedposition, and a series of ring blanks l6 may be fed into the magazinebetween the jaws 22 and 23. As pointed out above, this loading operationis facilitated if the magazine follower 43 is first drawn rearwardlyuntil the lug 59 engages the lip 52 to hold the follower in itsretracted position. When the magazine is loaded with a series of ringblanks, the lug 5!) may then be released from the lip 52 and thefollower permitted to slide forward to engage the rear ring blank IS inthe series and hold the front ring blank |6a against the stops 24 and 25of the jaws.

The animal to be ringed may be held in any convenient fashion and, asseen in Fig. 1, the ringer may be brought to the necessary position forinserting a ring into the hogs snout. It will be noted that themanipulation of the ringer is very easy because of the fact that thehandles 20 and 2| of the cross-levers flank the frame II, and thus aresubstantially perpendicular to the plane of a ring blank [5, so that theringer may be brought toward the snout from the side. This is incontrast to the prior art hog ringers in which the handles aresubstantially parallel to the plane of a ring blank held in the jaws sothat it is necessary to approach the hogs snout from above in order tohave the ring blank in proper position for ringing. The manipulation ofthe improved'ringer is far simpler for this reason, and it is easier forthe operator to see that he is placing the ring properly in thecartilaginous portion of the snout.

As previously described, as the handles 20 and 2| of the cross-leversare compressed, the front ring blank Hia first is cammed downwardly andforwardly so that its ends project beyond the lower margins of the jawsand are clear of the succeeding ring blank. During the last portion ofthe closing motion the ring is formed by the crimping cams 25 and 21 andits tips close in a cartilaginous portion of the hogs snout.

When a ringing operation has been completed, the handles may bereleased, and the tension spring 4|, acting through the cross-head 32,will return the cross levers and H! to their extreme open position. Thespring-loaded magazine follower 43 then advances the next succeedingring blank |6 between the crimping cams 26 and 2'1 and the ringer isready for another ringing operation.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no unneces-. sary limitation should beunderstood therefrom, for some modifications will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A hog ringer, comprising: a hollow channellike frame; a guide membermounted in said frame to provide a magazine for ring elanks; a springloaded followerurging blanks in said magazine toward an open endthereof; and a pair of cross-levers pivotally mounted on the frame withtheir handles flanking said frame, each of said levers having aforwardly extending jaw provided with a stop for said ring blanks and acrimping cam in rear of said stop.

2. A hog ringer as specified in claim 1, wherein the magazine isarranged to receive ring blanks of several different sizes, and meansare provided for adjustably limiting the separating movement of the jawsto accommodate the jaws to rings of several different sizes.

3. A hog ringer as specified in claim 1, wherein the crimping cam oneach jaw is so shaped as to successively move the end ring blank in themagazine out of the plane of the remaining ring blanks and into snoutgripping position.

4. A hog ringer as specified in claim 1, wherein the cross-levers arelinked to a cross-head carried on the frame, and means are provided foradjustably limiting the forward travel of the cross-head to control themaximum separation of the jaws whereby the ringer may accommodate ringblanks of different sizes.

5. A hog ringer, comprising: a hollow channel-like frame; a guide membermounted in said frame to provide a magazine for a series of ring blanks;a spring loaded follower urging said blanks toward an open end of saidmagazine; a pair of cross-levers pivotally mounted on the frame with itshandles flanking the frame and the magazine, each of said levers havinga forwardly extending jaw provided with an inwardly facing ring stopagainst which ring blanks in the magazine are thrust by said follower,and having a crimping cam in rear of said stop shaped to move the endring blank in the magazine downwardly and forwardly into snout grippingposition and then form a ring; a cross-head traveling in a slot in saidframe; a movable abutment member on said cross-head cooperating with ashoulder on said slot to adjustably limit the forward travel of thecross-head; spring means urging said cross-head toward its forwardposition; and links between the cross-head and the handles of thecross-levers whereby the cross-levers are urged to open position by saidspring means.

- CLARENCE L. AUSTIN.

No references cited.

